Immigration and the 2008 Republican Defeat

Immigration and Future of the Republican Party

On January 29, 2009, the American Cause released the report "Immigration and the 2008 Republican Defeat," The study is a detailed analysis of every single Republican seat lost in the 2008 House Race, that shows in virtually every race the Republican supported amnesty or the Democrat supported tough border security.

In addition to discussing this study, panelists at our meeting argued.

Despite years of pandering, the GOP never won the Hispanic Vote; and past success was overstated

More Hispanic voters oppose amnesty and support border control than vote for pro-amnesty candidates like John McCain

Immigration is not a major factor for Hispanic voters

Whatever gains, if any, pandering to Hispanics gives is greatly outweighed by loss of the White Vote, which is more important.

The Demographic changes made by mass immigration have been disastrous to Republicans and fatal if not halted.

Support for border security, national sovereignty, and immigration control rallies the GOP and brings Reagan Democrats back into the GOP

Bay Buchanan -- the president of the American Cause, chairman of Team America PAC, and a commentator for CNN. She served as treasurer for Ronald Reagan's '76 and '80 presidential campaigns. She was U.S. Treasurer in President Reagan's first administration. Mrs. Buchanan chaired all three of her brother Pat's presidential campaigns. In the 2008 election cycle, she was a senior adviser to Tom Tancredo and then Mitt Romney.

Peter Brimelow -- a columnist for Dow Jones Marketwatch and editor of the immigration reform website VDARE.com. Previously , he was a senior editor at National Review and Forbes. He is the author of several books including the national bestseller Alien Nation: Common Sense About America's Immigration Disaster.

Jim Pinkerton -- a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, a commentator for Fox News, and lecturer at George Washington University. He is a contributing editor for the American Conservative and and writes regularly The Huffington Post, and The Politico. Pinkerton served on the editorial board of USA Today and in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush White House and as a senior adviser to Mike Huckabee in 2008.

Marcus Epstein -- executive director of the American Cause and Team America PAC and president of the Robert Taft Club. His writings appear in a variety of publications including, Human Events, American Conservative and the Washington Examiner.